The article "Can Diet or Supplements Relieve Your Arthritis Aches and Inflammation" in Environmental Nutrition addressed the issue of the increased use of dietary supplements among suffers of arthritis. While many companies advertise the benefits of their product, there are many doubts as to their effectiveness within the scientific community. While some products may offer some relief from symptoms or progression of arthritis, others may simply be feeding off of the placebo effect.
Products that have shown significant reductions in arthritis symptoms include Omega-3 fatty acids and s-adenosylmethionine. In the article "Collateral Benefits of Fish Oil Therapy for Rheumatoid Arthritis" from The Journal of Rheumatology, Dr. Chak Sing Lau discusses how there is growing evidence that a diet that includes fish oils may improve the symptoms associated with rheumatoid arthritis.
Other supplements such as selenium, vitamin A and vitamin C are advertised to the consumer as decreasing the oxidative effects of arthritis. However, in another article published in The Journal of Rheumatology, titled "The antioxidant vitamins A, C, E and selenium in the treatment of arthritis: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials", showed that there is no convincing evidence indicating that these supplements offer any relief for arthritis and should not be considered an arthritis treatment.
The Environmental Nutrition journal concludes that while many of the supplement's benefits are uncertain, eating a well balanced diet reduced in fat and high in fruits and vegetables with regular exercise will help manage arthritis pain. ... hmmmm, seems to be a trend :)
Collateral Benefits of Fish Oil... article:
http://www.jrheum.com.ezproxy2.library.arizona.edu/subscribers/06/10/1931.html
The antioxidant vitamins A, C, E and selenium... article: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.ezproxy2.library.arizona.edu/sites/entrez
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
It's interesting that one study group proved that vitamins A,C, E, and selenium are ineffective in arthritis treatment, but on the other hand, some advertisements argue that they are beneficial.
Our average consumer does not look into journals and scientific findings for information--supposedly, "everything" is advertised on the label. This simply goes to show that (health) education is key to smart decision making.
Does this mean that there is no conclusive evidence about using dietary supplements for curbing arthritis aches? My experience with one of the pain relief creams has been pretty good. My father has been a victim of mild arthritis for over a year. He suffers from regular joint pains which at times are severe. He started applying flexgen http://www.newvitality.com/shop/flexgen.aspx, a joint pain relief cream from new vitality since last 2 months. He now feels less pain, joint stiffness and his overall motion have also improved. It contains cetylated fatty acids. I am quite happy to see my father smiling more often these days.
Post a Comment